1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus in a vehicle seat for articulating and dumping. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a linkage mechanism that allows articulation and dumping of a vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many vehicles, particularly minivans and sport utility vehicles, have seats which articulate so that the seatback frame rotates forwardly and downwardly toward the seat frame and vehicle floor. Articulation allows the vehicle seats to collapse down to the vehicle deck by the seatback frame rotating forwardly down to the seat frame. This articulation provides an increase in the interior space of a vehicle. For example, articulating downward the back seats in a minivan so that all of the back seats collapse, expands the cargo interior space of the minivan so that large objects can be placed inside of the vehicle. Another movement of vehicle seats is dumping. A vehicle seat dumps by rotating forwardly and upwardly relative to the vehicle deck. Dumping allows an increase in the space in front of seats located behind a dumped seat. Dumping of the vehicle seat also increases the cargo floor area within the vehicle. A forward dumped vehicle seat allows greater access space to rear seating located behind the dumped vehicle seat.
Other vehicle seats are designed to either articulate or dump. Traditional articulating vehicle seats, however, articulate the seatback frame to a position where the seatback does not completely collapse to a substantially horizontal position, or a position parallel to the vehicle deck. Consequently, the seatback is angled slightly upward because the seatback rests against the seat bottom. The angled seatback frame prevents a subsequent complete dumping of the vehicle seat to a substantially vertical position because the angled seatback prevents a full rotation of the seat to the vertical position. Additionally, these articulating seats do not have a dumping feature. In view of the disadvantages associated with currently available vehicle seats, it is desirable to provide a vehicle seat having a linkage mechanism which allows the seatback to articulate into a substantially horizontal position, and allows the vehicle seat to be dumped into a substantially vertical position.